Four Roses Private Selections

If you have been in a liquor store in the last six months that moves a lot of bourbon and especially Four Roses then you may have seen a bottle of the single barrel Four Roses with a gold label that says “Private Selection”. These are barrel proof offerings that the store selects from one of the ten recipes Four Roses makes. They are interesting because the only recipe Four Roses bottles regularly as a stand alone is the OBSV that is the standard Four Roses Single Barrel release. So these are your only chances to taste many of the other recipes.

While trying to grab as many of these private selections and review them would have me pulling my hair out and emptying my bank account (these usually run about $60 per bottle) I thought it might be good to review one of each of the recipes. While each barrel differs there is an overall character to each recipe. There is truly no way to know which recipes you prefer until you try them for yourself but maybe I can help a little.

The store selections you’re seeing around are typically in the 9 to 11 year range. I’ve got a few recipe examples that I will start reviewing tomorrow and as more come to me I’ll add to the list. Tomorrow’s is a bit special because Mr. Rutledge deemed that 11 year old OESF to be worthy of the annual limited edition release. The rest I have were picked by private groups, stores, and Mr. Rutledge. I hope you enjoy the reviews and find them helpful.